When it comes to screen time, US kids prefer YouTube to Netflix

In the US, two-to-11-year-olds watch more YouTube than Netflix. — AFP

WHEN it comes to watching their favourite cartoons, American children aged two to 11 are more likely to turn to YouTube than to Netflix. This trend is reportedly prompting streaming platforms to reduce their investment in content for kids.

Could there be trouble ahead for Netflix? According to figures from Nielsen, reported by the Wall Street Journal, its audience share among United States children aged two to 11 has fallen over the past two years, from 25% in 2021 to 21% in September 2023.

Conversely, YouTube’s share has risen from 29.4% to 33%.

However, children’s shows appeal to Netflix subscribers. For example, the sixth season of Paw Patrol accumulated almost 150 million viewing hours between January and June 2023, and came 54th in the platform’s top 100 most-watched shows.

The fifth season of this show racked up over 130 million viewing hours. CoComelon also ranks among the most popular shows on the American platform. Its first four seasons amassed over 400 million viewing hours.

Even so, the American giant is losing ground to YouTube. This situation is pushing streaming platforms to reduce their investment in children’s content, with a significant drop in original productions for this age group, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Setting records

Meanwhile, CoComelon is setting viewing records on YouTube, racking up billions of views. With 170 million subscribers, its YouTube channel is the third most followed in the world. Such is its success that CoComelon Lane, an animated series based on this universe, was first broadcast exclusively on YouTube, before moving to Netflix.

The difficulties of creating new franchises in a fragmented market are leading streaming platforms to reduce their investment in children’s shows.

According to data gathered by Ampere, the eight biggest US providers (such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video) added just 53 original shows aimed at young children and families in the first half of 2023, compared with 135 in the first half of 2022 – a drop of 61%. – AFP Relaxnews